Nine individuals will appear in the Brussels Criminal Court as part of an investigation into 50 bags of cocaine discovered in French Community (FWB) Education Minister Caroline Désir's (PS) office last year.
The drugs were discovered on 15 December and belong to 'Mekki V', former staff member of the Désir cabinet and son of MP Fadila Laanan (PS). The nine individuals on trial are members of a drug trafficking gang. These details were first reported by Sudinfo and have since been confirmed by the Public Prosecutor's Office.
"The council chamber referred nine defendants to the criminal court for sales and possession of narcotics," the office stated. "A date has not yet been set. The council chamber also ordered the detention of two of the defendants." It remains unknown whether or not Mekki V is one of the defendants still in custody.
Chain of events
Mekki V, former equipment and logistics assistant to Désir, was arrested at his home in December, where police discovered €10,000 in cash. A further search of his office uncovered the 50 bags of cocaine. The suspect immediately lost his job and Désir was quick to clarify the chain of events to the public.
The cabinet "began working with the investigators on its own initiative," she explained on social media, adding that police had found no other incriminating material in the office apart from the 50 sachets of white power.
The exact involvement of the nine individuals on trial remains unclear. Mekki V's partner, who worked for Walloon Minister Frédéric Daerden (PS), also lost her job for "breach of trust".
